A reader's response to Info Minister Zam
Time to stop believing your own propaganda

Dear Sir,

I refer to your August 3 report on the comments made by the Minister
of Information in response to the launch of the Merdeka Statement.

On the contrary, I believe it is the Honourable Minister that needs a
healthy reality check. If theSun's report is correct, I am
astonished that barely within 24 hours of the launch of the Merdeka
Statement he has managed to consult the majority of the people in
this country and, having consulted them, he has come to the
conclusion that the majority of the people in this country are
offended by the first item of the Merdeka Statement.

Be that as it may, the world doesn't live in Malaysia. We do. The
world has an outsider's view of racial unity in Malaysia. We live
the reality on a daily basis. Yes we did enjoy the spring of greater
racial unity in the earlier years of our lives. But as we get older
we now experience the increasing winter of discontent, and our
concerns have grown for the future of our children, and our
children's children, in the next 50 years. If the unity of our
country is not in trouble, why have there been press reports (which
have not been challenged) about the increase in racial polarisation
in our schools and universities?

Why has there been a flight from the sekolah kebangsaan to the
sekolah jenis kebangsaan? If the unity of our country is not in
jeopardy, why was there a need to start National Service? So that our
youths could play around with M16 rifles? If the unity of our country
has not been under threat, why is it that we actually have a
Parliamentary Select Committee on Unity and National Service looking
into issues of national unity, having public hearings, compiling a
report, etc.

Why was the Jabatan Perpaduan Negara re-named Jabatan Perpaduan
Negara dan Integrasi Nasional? The 42 organisations which were listed
as supporting (whether in whole or in part) the Merdeka Statement
either deal with or represent ordinary people of all walks of life on
an everyday basis. Does the Honourable Minister really think that the
Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations is elitist? Or the
Malaysian Confederation of the Disabled? Or Yayasan Strategik Sosial?
This last organisation is a body that works with underprivileged and
marginalised, mainly Indian, children and youths. How more "un-
elitist" can you get?

Does he consider the Malaysia Hindu Sangam elitist? Or the Malaysian
Buddhist Association? Rather than face the reality, the preferred
response appears to be to classify these groups as an elitist
unrepresentative fringe group, and then to dismiss them as
"Irrelevant!"

Furthermore, when you actually take a look at the Merdeka Statement,
is it so bad that under the first item there is a call to ensure
that "all new policies should be tested against the tenets of the
Federal Constitution and the Rukun Negara? Is it so horrible that
"an independent and transparent National Consultative Council on
Vision 2020 should be established immediately? Is it so intolerable
that "a National Research Institute on Ethnic Relations should be
established?" Are these things, in and of themselves, so repugnant
to the average person in the street that the majority of Malaysians
would be offended by such suggestions?

And finally, what is so objectionable about the setting up of a truth
and reconciliation committee, designed to listen to people, talk
about their personal experience of nation-building, of instances
where government action or policy has, instead of bringing good,
caused hurt and pain. It would be ordinary people sharing their
stories, recounting their difficulties, letting the rakyat speak for
themselves. There are so manythings that we are not allowed to talk
about, so many things that are the subject of threats of prosecution
or incarceration, or actual gag orders.

Why would a Minister of Information consider a suggestion of hearing
directly from the rakyat something which is "uncalled for"? If it
shatters the picture postcard image of Malaysia that his ministry
tries so hard to portray, that is unfortunate. He should not believe
his own propaganda.

Andrew Khoo
Kuala Lumpur

via email on Aug 4, 2007

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